Her Last Broadcast: will the disappearance of Jodi Huisentruit finally be solved?

Do you have a slight true crime addiction? Then you are certainly not alone. But while for many people it’s just something to enjoy from the couch, such a documentary can also provide that one missing clue. And that is exactly what the creators of ‘Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit’ hope to achieve. They dive back into the disappearance of the American news anchor, hoping that the case will finally be solved after 30 years.

Who is Jodi Huisentruit?

Jodi Huisentruit was born in 1968 in the town of Long Prairie in the state of Minnesota. She studied communication sciences at St. Cloud State University, and then started working as a flight attendant. But soon she stepped into the world of news. She worked for various channels, eventually staying at KIMT in Mason City Iowa. Every morning and afternoon she presented the news here. The small town didn’t really have any celebs; for them, news anchors like Jodi were the celebrities. And she was beloved. Jodi tried to build a connection with her audience and regularly shared what was happening in her own life. She was very open, sometimes perhaps even a bit too open.

How Jodi Huisentruit suddenly disappeared

On June 27, 1995, Jodi did not arrive on time for her morning news shift. Her colleague Amy Kuns called her awake, and the presenter promised to get there as soon as possible. Jodi had overslept before and always made it to work within twenty minutes. But this time, after more than an hour, there was still no sign of her. The news broadcast continued without Jodi, and her colleagues called the police. They started an investigation into the disappearance, but it quickly turned into a kidnapping case. Officers found Jodi’s earrings, heels, and her bent car key near her car; there had clearly been a struggle. The officers now had to search not only for Jodi but also for her abductor.

Had Jodi been in danger for a while?

With her star status in Mason City and her open demeanor, Jodi lived under a magnifying glass. Much of her personal information, such as her phone number and address, was public. She also regularly mentioned in her broadcasts when she would be at certain places or events. But this life in the spotlight began to have a downside. Jodi had previously gone to the police because she felt she was being followed and wanted to take self-defense classes. She also considered changing her mobile number after a number of unpleasant calls. A doubt she even expressed the day before her disappearance.

A first ‘person of interest’ in Jodi Huisentruit's case

Shortly after the investigation began, the police stumbled upon a first ‘person of interest’. John Vansice, a good friend of Jodi, confessed that he was the last one to see her. The night before her disappearance, she was at his place watching videos of her birthday party. At first, John cooperated well with the investigation; he provided DNA, fingerprints, and palm prints and answered all questions. But the longer the case dragged on, the less he cooperated. In 2017, officers had his cars followed for a while, but that yielded nothing either. The clues were all too few; John was never officially a suspect and maintained until his death in late 2024 that he was innocent.

Who else drew attention in the search for Jodi?

While the police continued to investigate John, they uncovered more possible perpetrators. Jodi’s case was linked to that of serial rapist Tony Jackson and serial killer Christopher Revak; the presenter could have been their first victim. Although both men were in Mason City at the time and several clues were investigated, it was still too little to see them as real suspects. Brad Millerbernd, the ex-husband of Jodi’s friend Patty, also made the list. According to his ex-wife, he resembled the sketches of a suspect seen around Jodi’s apartment too much. But here too, it remained just a few leads.

Where is Jodi Huisentruit now?

After Jodi had been missing for several years, she was officially declared dead in 2001. However, the police continued the investigation even after that. No one on the ‘person of interest’ list is completely ruled out, but there has never been an official suspect or arrest. New information keeps coming in, but so far it has always been too little. Journalists, former officers, and family members are working together on the website FindJodi to keep the case in the spotlight; hoping that answers will eventually be found. And with today’s better investigative techniques, that could still happen.

The goal behind Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit

The creators of the new documentary also hope to help bring those answers a little closer. They share new interviews and information in the hope that someone will be awakened somewhere. “I think everyone feels that it is solvable. They just need that one missing piece. And I hope that someone watching this has the information needed to solve this case,” says executive producer Maria Awes. The documentary is therefore a clear call to share any information that is still out there with the police. Perhaps this will lead to a breakthrough. ‘Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit’ is now available on Disney+.

Image: ABC News, Disney+\/Hulu